Solo diving training

[aquaregia]

I've been sort of curious about the solo diver course, for the material rather than the card. I'm not a solo diver, but it seems like the vast majority of people talking about the solo diver course are already solo divers looking to legitimize the activities they're already doing. I've been sort of curious about solo diving, but it seems that doing it to see if I want to take a course is sort of backwards. Is the course appropriate for a diver who up until this point has only been a buddied diver, assuming that the instructor is a solo diver himself rather than an instructor who has the ability to certify solo divers?

 

[redacted]

Why have you never done a solo dive? Why do you want to start now?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Frankly there is not much in a solo course that is or should be different than any good ow or AOW course. What is taught in the solo course is self reliance. That used to be taught in every ow class but is now lost in favor of not having to think or be responsible for yourself. The skills are what every diver SHOULD HAVE. The main thing as I see it is the mindset. Are you comfortable enough with your skills and knowledge that if a situation came up you could get out of it alone. Knowing that if you couldn't there's a good chance you will die alone.

 

[aquaregia]

Why have you never done a solo dive? Why do you want to start now?

Mostly, I have a large number of friends who dive, so I'd probably need to blow someone off to do it. Additionally, my car needs a new brake master cylinder, so I need someone to drive me to the dive site

I'm still a fairly new diver, so the stigma associated with solo diving has been a deterrent, and I wanted to develop the confidence to know that I could deal with stuff myself. All my IRL diving friends are either dedicated buddy divers or team divers, so there'd be a bit of flak from them as well.

I've done some diving as a third member to buddy teams where I was effectively solo (once I was entangled and they swam off without me). Once I thought to myself that, because they were moving sort of fast, it might be nice to just lag behind and enjoy some stuff on my own. Clearly, I did nothing of the sort (the not getting smarter underwater thing). It seemed like it be nice and peaceful without other people around, kinda like walking along the ocean at night or driving through the desert alone under a full moon. Some romantic crap like that

 

[DevonDiver]

The only solo course that I am aware of is the TDI one. That seems to be more about reinforcement of recreational diving training, rather than addressing specific strategies and principles for safe solo diving. Anyone who knows better, is welcome to correct me.

For me... I didn't start solo diving until I had completed technical dive training. In the UK, a tech certification is recognised by most operators as suitable for solo diving (if the operator allows solo diving at all).

IMHO, technical training covers self-reliance, mindset and equipment to a level that enables safe solo diving, under a variety of conditions and depths. That is generally the consensus view (just look at what part of Scubaboard the 'solo diving' forum currently sits).

 

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

I completed the SDI/ TDI Solo course a couple of months back. What was said above is a good summary. The diving skills were nothing new. I had to lug a pony around with me, but that is not exactly the most challenging. Otherwise there were no new skills not covered in your OW course.

I was expected to be proficient at buoyancy control, SMB deployment, navigation and general diving skills. More than anything else, I asked the TDI instructor to confirm if he thought I was ready for tech training as part of the dives.

I found the knowledge component more interesting. This was all the same information from the OW and AOW courses but in a little more detail with emphasis that you need to be able to deal with problems underwater yourself (without panic). The gas planning was interesting and gave some new insights into my SAC rate and planning around it.

Overall, I got some more confidence, confirmation that I was ready for tech (in the eyes of one instructor), a renewed focus on potential underwater problems and a card that I can use in the States when I don't have a buddy available.

Solo diving can be done safely, but carries additional risks that you should be aware of and trained to handle. It is a common practice here in NY and I have encountered solo divers on a few dive boats.

If you really only want the knowledge, spend $30 on Amazon. ("SDI Solo") THIS COVERS THE KNOWLEDGE ONLY AND IS NOT A FULL SOLO COURSE. CONSULT AN INSTRUCTOR. Spend the rest of the cost of the course on getting your car fixed. (or air fills )

If you do choose to do the course (need 100 logged dives to start) the emphasis on self sufficiency is good.

Some observations to your post:
Diving as a 3 buddy team is not solo as you have someone to help. Similarly, you are effectively solo with an inexperienced buddy, just with the false security.

Haphazardly lagging behind two buddies to check out some stuff is not solo diving, it is poor buddy diving. Solo is a planned activity. It is more important to plan your dive fully when solo.

 

[BoneCrusher]

For what its worth...

I thought the SDI solo diving course was good. However, I think the instructor has a lot to do with the class. I had been solo diving on and off prior to taking the class. The reason I took the course was that the card is being recognized by a few of the places I dive and with it, they will allow solo diving. I however, don't think that just because someone got the card it means they are ready for solo diving. Being a solo diver requires a different mindset than an OW or AOW diver. This mindset also means having the appropriate gear for a solo dive (redundancy in everything). I see the SDI course as a beginning tech cert as this class seemed to flow well into my TDI Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures classes.

 

[David_57]

The SDI Solo course is a great as a back up to the buddy system s..t happens, also a good introduction to Tech if you ever decide to go that route.

 

[redacted]

You could jump right into the course and get it done that way. I did not do that. I started by reading whatever I could get on the subject. Then I did some fairly conservative solo diving. Before I started to go deeper, I added a pony. I probably had close to 50 solo dives before I finally took the SDI course. I needed the card to satisfy some operators that required solo certification.

 

[porgyhunter]

I think you might try ''make belive'' solo. In this senario, you dive with a buddy but put some distance between each other. Like swimming parralle to each other just at the end of vis. This is what I will do with a buddy when we lobster dive.
We periodically lose each other but if both stay on course pick each other up. Always wear a sounder on your tank for trouble. This may get your feet wet.